New Driver Training Requirements Shelved

BANGKOK — Plans to require 15 hours of training for new drivers to get their licenses were withdrawn Wednesday by the government, which said the new regulations needed careful review.

Arkom Termpittayapaisit of the Transport Ministry said the regs requiring new and renewing motorists to take 15 hours of training were put on hold because its facilities weren’t ready to offer the training and the 6,000 baht fee may have been too high.

Read: Drivers Must Soon Take 15 Hours of Training

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The ministry announced two weeks ago that it would amend the rules to require more hours of training for the sake of road safety. The 15 hours would have included five hours of classroom theory, three hours of maintenance instruction, and six hours behind-the-wheel to be split between an open course and the street.

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It was to go into effect sometime next year.

The announcement brought many complaints and resulted in a rush of driving tests to obtain licenses at transport offices in many provinces.